Danganronpa: Hopeful Rewrite
by L is tired
Summary: I wanted to rewrite Danganronpa because I'm gay, sad, and hyperfixating. I change some stuff around, make trial 2 of dr1 less gross, portray toko's DID a bit better, stuff like that. I will pull some dumb deus ex machinas but again so has team dr sooooo \ (ツ) / SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This is very self-indulgent, nothing special and kind of silly but! Hopefully you enjoy!

Stepping out of the bus with a quick thank you, Makoto's breath was stolen with the arrival at the towering academy's gate. It made him feel smaller than he usually did. He slid the manila envelope out of his duffel bag and retrieved his student I.D. card to open the gate.

It was real, the perfectly pruned trees and bushes, tended gardens and walkways, but still too early for anyone besides staff to arrive. He stepped inside excitedly, ready for his new School life.

* * *

Makoto woke with a start, his head jolting up from the desk. How long was he asleep? No one else is here… Maybe he slept through class? But this was arrival day, class isn't even supposed to start yet!

His attention is caught by the thick metal plating boarded over the windows, he didn't see that outside, that's for sure. He'll shelve his concern for now and see if he can find his class or a teacher. Stepping outside he heard a murmur of voices and headed that way.

"GRRRRAH!" Mondo Owada, Ultimate Biker Gang Leader rushed at the large vault door. It wouldn't budge, being made of what seemed to be thick steel. He panted and leaned on the wall, his whole leg erupting in pain.

"Do not try that again, Mondo, this isn't a wise tactic." Sakura Ogami shook her head.

"MAKOTO NAEGI!"

Makoto's attention was snapped to the source, the Ultimate Moral Compass. Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

"Oh! Mr. Ishimaru!" Makoto bounced on his toes, eyes sparkling with excitement "I read all about you on the Hope's Peak website!"

"Flattery will not erase your tardiness! We were to meet at 8 a.m. sharp!"

"S-sorry-" He frowned, feeling awful. This is a bad first impression!

"God, what's the fuckin' point in getting onto him when there's this vault bullshit, here?" Mondo snarked "So, what's the status update on that door, tech witch?"

Chihiro lifted her headphones off one ear, shaking her head "It's near hopeless, loaded with malware. My antivirus won't even respond… I'm so sorry."

Aoi leaned against Sakura, thinking "Maybe we should go get a snack, I think better when I'm full."

Kiyotaka beamed, leading the way "Snack time! Then we think again!"

Byakuya cleared his throat "I saw something on my way here, in the gymnasium. Perhaps we should go there instead."

"What did you see?" The mysterious girl not even Makoto knew about spoke up, tugging at the edge of her leather gloves.

"That's what I intend to find out." Byakuya strode towards the gym, the others following to Aoi and Taka's dismay.  
"This school is turning out to be a real pain in the dick…" Mondo muttered.

"Stop swearing! There are children here!" Taka whined

"There's kids here?" He looked around, baffled

Taka pointed to himself, much to Mondo's amusement.

* * *

"Makoto and Junko, kissin' in a tree, s-i-t-t-i-n-g~" Leon wheezed, tuning his guitar as he tapped his foot against the common room coffee table.

"That's not how it goes, you goddamn moron." Mondo scoffed, peering over Chuck's fur.

'Junko' rolled her eyes, looking over at Makoto, who was red as a beet "Guys, stop, Makoto's gonna die of embarrassment"

Leon cackled at this reaction "It's all in good fun! You guys are cute together!"

"I j-just said s-she had nice freckles-" Makoto buried his face in a throw pillow, curling up

"Come on Naegi, let's ditch these losers and go outside." Mukuro always felt more comfortable outside.

He nodded, stumbling out of the common room.

* * *

Inside the gym sat a peculiar bear, sitting on a small stage. He's split in the middle, half white, half black, with a peculiar red eye.

"Is this some kind of joke…?" Toko spoke up for the first time since arriving "What is that supposed to be?"

"Your new headmaster!" The little bear sneered, standing up "Headmaster Monokuma!"

Yasuhiro laughed, unsure of how else to react "Oh- I totally get it now! This is all a thing to get us hyped for the entrance ceremony! Consider it a job well done, real human Headmaster!" He looked around hopefully, leaping back in surprise when Monokuma showed up behind him.

"Ohhh you got me! It's real human Monokuma!" The bear giggled, popping into a hatch in the floor and… Oh, sweet tap-dancing Christ. He presumably climbed back out as a pale, vaguely humanoid figure, split down the middle. His left half, rather than matching Monokuma, showed inner organs and bones, like an anatomical model.

"wHAT THE FUCK-" Hiro scrambled back, clinging onto Sakura.

Monokuma snickered, going back to his normal bear form "Welcome to Hope's Peak, kids! Enjoy your _eternal_ stay~"

"Eternal?" Toko repeated, dumbfounded. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're never leaving! You agreed to it, after all!"

"No one would ever agree to that!" Leon protested "What is this, some terms and conditions bullshit nobody reads?"

"What about our families?" Makoto fretted, thinking about his sister and parents back home, sickeningly missing them already

"Oh, don't worry about them! They'll all agree this was the best idea!"

Toko growled uncharacteristically, shoving her hair into a bun "No they fuckin' wouldn't! Who's controlling you, you stupid bear?!"

"Awww shucks, well if you wanna leave me alone so bad, I guess there's one way…" Monokuma pouted "There's a Graduation clause. The goal here is to live a harmonious life together in these school walls, buuuut, if someone _disrupted_ the harmony… Well, they graduate!" Monokuma popped a little confetti launcher

"Our own Headmaster promoting anarchy?" Taka's shock was evident

"Not just any anarchy! Murder! Homicide! Takin' 'em out to sleep with the fishes!" He drew a fuzzy thumb over his near-nonexistent neck

Taka dropped to his knees in shock. What twisted reality is this?

Toko, no… Someone else… Someone else who took over for Toko stomped their foot down "Nobody's killing anyone! I'll ask again, bitch, _**where's the real headmaster?**_"

"Maybe if you kill somebody they'll be kind enough to show you!" The terrible bear giggled

"Oh yeah?" They grinned, pushing up their uniform's sleeves as they stepped closer to Monokuma "I got a target in mind right now."

With nothing but an adrenaline and force Byakuya's only seen once before, they pick up Monokuma, spin, and toss him to the far gym wall.

* * *

"Stop it! You've already broken his glasses!" Jack commanded, stepping in between the bullies and the fragile child that was Byakuya.

"I-it's that weird girl!" One of them said, backing up. With a lunge from Jack they ran away.

He turned to kneel beside Byakuya. His, well, Toko's stockings were getting dirty from the mud "Are you okay?"

Byakuya sat up, wiping his eyes "Father will be so upset about these glasses, he paid thousands for them… I'm so selfish…"

"Hey, this isn't your fault." Jack put a grubby little hand on the other child's shoulder "You can borrow ours if you want."

"O-ours? Toko, what do you-"

"Can you keep a secret?" Jack whispered, slightly lisping from a front tooth the Host just lost. "Toko has a lot of friends in her mind and we take turns! I'm Jack!" He held out his hand

"... It's nice to meet you, Jack." Byakuya smiled softly

* * *

The student's ears rang from the bear exploding mid-air. It was dead silent from the shock of it all.

"H-headmaster Monokuma…" Taka hugged his knees, conflicted. He idolized all his Principals and Headmasters, and… And now one of them is encouraging murder! What's the truth anymore? Is this all a bad dream?

"Puhuhuhuhu~ Did you really think that was the last of me?" Monokuma danced back on stage "Consider that a warning! No touching or harming the Headmaster during your Killing School Life! While we're on the topic, please brush up on the rules! You will die if they're broken! Don't you like that, Kiyotaka?"

Taka couldn't respond, he and Chihiro drowning in the middle of a meltdown. Sakura picked them both up, and headed to the cafeteria. "Congratulations, bear. We'll follow your rules. For now. But we will get out, and no one needs to die for that."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: haha imagine having consistency in uploads, this post was made by me gang. this is gonna be a bit of a chill chapter but things will pick up, dw

* * *

Inside the cafeteria, Celestia began to brew some earl grey. Taka solemnly prepared some maki rolls and Hina found a box of doughnuts she's sharing with Chihiro and Sakura. Makoto stood in the doorway, trying to figure out who to sit with. Surprisingly enough, Sayaka and 'Junko' waved him over!

"Hey hey, Naegi!" 'Junko' twirled her hair

"You guys seem cheerful, what's up?" He immediately felt more at ease, seeing the two happy

"We figure there's not much point in being blue! We're Ultimates! If we work together we'll get out no problem!" Sayaka beamed, passing over a cup of grape soda "Still like grape soda, Koto-ala?" She winked

Makoto flushed, nodding. Seeing this, 'Junko' grinned

"Ooooh, what's this, a history?" She leaned forward "Gimme the tea-"

"We were just friends in school. I'm amazed she even remembers me, considering I never stood out much" Makoto chuckled sheepishly  
"Of course I remember you! We played Rhythm Heaven together!" Sayaka giggled "You would never give up, even if I was better at it. You've always been so determined…"

Mukuro regretted asking. This killed her. She wished he never fell for her.

* * *

"... I've never seen the city like this…" 'Junko' quietly sighed, looking out from the roof of a fancy barbeque house.

"Neither have I… I almost wish I used those ladders sooner" Makoto giggled, referring to the large maintenance ladder bolted to the brick siding.

"You're really cute when you're rebellious"

Makoto flushed "Wh-"

'Junko's' smile faded into one of melancholy. "Oh, don't put too much weight in what I say. It's for your own good."

"What do you mean? Are you feeling all right?"

"... If someone you liked or trusted turned out to be someone completely different all along, how would you react?"

"I- Junko? Is something wrong?"

Mukuro backed away towards the ladder, her emotions swirling, her mission being compromised. "Don't look for me." She hopped down the building, ditching her heeled boots and booking it

Makoto quickly climbed down after her, not listening. He's terrified she might be in danger. She's terrified of the fact she wants to be caught.

He paused after a long while of running, huffing and panting as he held his knee. Hyper-mobile knee cap be damned!

She quickly changed and shoved her stuff in her bag, probably able to fool him if not for a straw-blond lock sticking out of the zipper.

"Naegi, are you all right?" She asked softly, grateful to give her voice a rest.

"I'm fine, just-" He noticed the hair, everything just clicking. "Ohh… I-it's okay Mukuro!"

"Huh?" She asked, before a pain shot through her heart like a bullet seeing what gave her away. "I'm sorry Naegi- I… Just wanted to be popular, like her." She may have been discovered, but she'll die before Junko will.

"No, it's okay! Really!" He tried to reassure her "You're like a cool secret agent! That's awesome!"

"You're not mad that you fell in love with an imperfect replica of someone famous?"

"No- Wait- I'm in love?" He seemed surprised.

"... You sent me roses."

"... OH MY GOD I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

So Mukuro is morosexual. "But… You don't know me."

"Well, maybe if you let me, I could?"

"... You drive a hard bargain, Naegi."

* * *

"What about you, Junko? Do you know anyone here?" Sayaka asked softly

"Like, only Togami. We met at this super Lamesville Gala." 'Junko' filed at her fake nails, much to her sister's dismay.

"Galas? Like the kind with horse divorce?!" Makoto nearly hopped out of his seat in excitement

"Do you mean Hors D'oeuvres?" 'Junko' tried to keep a straight face

"Is that how you say it?" He asked, staring at the table in embarrassment.

Sayaka patted his shoulder as Taka set down a plate of the sushi. Makoto politely waited for the girls to get their sushi first, tapping his chopsticks together as though he were about to drum. Aoi was right, it was easier to think on a full stomach.

* * *

Taka set down a plate of sushi and sat across from Mondo.

"Woah Woah Woah, square, who invited you?"

"At my former school I had a rotation of tables I would sit at to improve morale and keep high friendships," Taka stated flatly, his motions almost robotic. He's holding on by a thread.

Mondo knows how that feels. He knows what that is. What Taka needs is someone to 'rehabilitate'. To teach. And what better rebel than Mondo? Besides… Mondo kind of misses Taka's earlier demeanor.

So he places his feet on the table and eats his sushi without chopsticks. Just his bare hands.

"Mr. Owada!" His eyes widened, before dropping to their previous, half-closed state "... Carry on. Sorry."

"Nah, what were you gonna say? Huh, punk? You got a problem?"

"I'm not a punk!"

"Huh? What was that, punk?" Mondo smirked

Taka groaned, clutching his head "Rrgghh- MR. OWADA! SIT UP STRAIGHT IN YOUR SEAT, FEET OFF THE TABLE AND USE YOUR UTENSILS! THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT!"

_There he is._ Mondo thought to himself, doing as he was told. "Damn, if you say so."

"Nnnno swearing, either!" He huffed.

* * *

"Do you take milk in your tea, Hifumi?" Celestia gently poured the steaming tea into Hifumi's teacup

"Yes, please!" Hifumi smiled, writing down some vague story ideas

Celestia carefully poured some into the beautiful black and crimson cup. Her personal tea set.

"You know, Hifumi, I must admit that your stories are quite captivating."

"Y-you read my stories?!" Hifumi's disbelief was only blocked by the steam from his cup fogging his glasses

She nodded, a bit embarrassed "I loved your continuation on the canceled anime 'Moonlight lovers: Vampire showdown'. You captured the characters and tone amazingly, and I love your fan character."

"You like vampires then, Celestia-chan?"

"I can't get enough of them. Such a tragic affliction, craving blood." She sighed softly "I've adored them as long as I could remember."

"Duly noted! Do you ever do roleplays?"

"Only in person. I've wanted to do so digitally, but I'm having trouble finding anyone interested… I'm lucky that the group I play with is so understanding and welcoming."

"Maybe if we get out of here, you could introduce me? My mom wants me to make new friends…"

Celestia smiled "Do not fret, mon ami. You already have."

Bit by bit, fragment by fragment, hope is blossoming. The Mastermind is seething. She calls her traitor to come to her office that night.

"Dial up the lone wolf act and seed some distrust while I get the motives ready. You _did_ copy their hostages too, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've also been sending footage of the killing game participants' copies to the actual hostages. Their reactions are filmed and saved for your viewing."

"Ohh, Togami, you really are the perfect choice for me." She smiled. When she praises him like that, it's hard to feel as guilty about it.


	3. Chapter 3

Toko stared at herself in the mirror. She looked miserable. Her ears rang. Vaguely, she understood Jack was busy, but he didn't leave any sort of hint and seemed to be hiding in the library. She tried again, closing her eyes and picturing the library once more, calling out for him. He ducked a corner.

Toko opened her eyes with a frown. It hurt when Jack left her alone, usually it meant something got him _very_ upset. She checked her pockets and discovered the E-handbook. Might as well brush up on the… Well god, damn it.

She hurried out of her room and went to the one with Byakuya's plate, hurridly knocking.

"Go away" He answered

She tried jiggling the knob "Byakuya it's me-"

"..." His heart wracked with a fresh set of guilt as he opened the door. "Go bother someone else."

The look of grief on her face made Byakuya shut the door before he could be caught tearing up. He was grateful the traitor's room had no cameras spying on him.

* * *

Toko's real life had been a rickety bridge of tragedy she kept breaking the boards of into the despair below. That's what manifested her Dissociative Identity Disorder, after all. She turned in her bed, trying to clear the nightmare of shutting doors from her head.

At least this orphanage, out of the handful she had been in, was nice. The roof didn't leak, the windows didn't draft. The walls were thick enough she only heard her own labored breathing. She filled her lungs the same unsatisfactory way it always seemed to, padded to her desk, and wrote. Her mind only sharing space with the Hope's Peak Academy acceptance letter she recieved.

* * *

And she wrote. Cornering herself away in the dining hall, trying desperately to forget the tally Kei kept of doors slamming in her face. Kei kept all the memories, good but mostly bad. Kei rarely fronted, wasn't prone to talking either. Xe merely stayed in the library. A small part of Toko was glad about that. The last thing she needed was someone looking at her that way again.

"Where's Byakuya?" 'Junko' asked no one in particular

"Staying in his room." Toko grumbled quietly, holding her pencil so tightly it might snap.

Mukuro wondered if that was really allowed. "Huh…"

Taka burst in proudly, looking refreshed after sleeping "Oh! You're all already up! Good! We need to investigate the grounds."

Sakura followed after him, Byakuya tucked under her arm. "Myself and Kiyotaka have already found something of note. The stairs are gated."

Mondo snorted "Nice twink you got there, Ogami"

"I-I am not a twink!" Byakuya huffed, squirming to be let go "If we're investigating I am going alone. None of you are trustworthy."

"What?" Sayaka frowned "What makes you say that?"

"Any one of you could be a potential killer. I won't risk myself so easily."

Taka's mouth was agape "We need unity in these trying times! Mr. Togami, please reconsider!"

Hiro clutched his dreads "Dude… What if he's right… None of us know each other here, really."

Mondo scoffed "Get back to your bong or whatever, that's ridiculous."

Leon flicked at his earrings "... But what if it's not? Think about it. What's in it for anybody to stay buddy-buddy with each other? A life of imprisonment?"

Makoto couldn't believe his ears. Would everyone really turn on each other so easily? "Th-then we gotta stick together! If we all separate it'd be even easier to do any of this stuff!"

The others mulled this over, it seeming to make sense.

"Do what you will, but don't be surprised when a knife ends up in your back." Byakuya warned, leaving the cafeteria.

"... What a dick." Chihiro spoke up, to everyone except Taka's surprise and delight

* * *

"Maybe this isn't Hope's peak at all, guys. Maybe we got kidnapped and the real Hope's Peak is looking for us!" Hiro proposed, clicking his fidget cube.

Kyoko picked up a map of the school, comparing it to the one in her E-handbook. "Not likely. The layout is almost the exact same, save for the… Interesting renovations, we'll call it."

Hiro made a small whine, clicking his fidget cube faster. This was cut off abruptly by Leon snatching the cube and tossing it.

"D-dude! My dad bought me that!" He screeched. Chihiro passed over a squishy shaped like a stack of pancakes to pacify him.

"It'll be okay guys. Our family will know something's wrong when we don't write to them." Hifumi hoped aloud.

"Some of us don't have families that would give a crap, Hifumi…" Toko mentioned, looking around "So, are the boys' dorms any different from the girls'?"

"Donno, I mean, besides the toolkit we got and the sewing kit you girls did. So… Does it make anyone else feel weird that the bathrooms don't lock?" Leon asked, doing the Lucky Luciano pose and waiting for someone to notice.

"Your bathroom doesn't lock?" Chihiro and Makoto asked in unison.

"... Does yours?" Leon dropped the pose, confused

"Mine wouldn't open last night, I had to go to one in the hall" Makoto said, trying to figure out why his would be locked.

"But ours opened just fine, there was just a lock on the knob" Celestia twirled her hair around her finger

"... D-do you think… Do you think someone's… Someone's in my bathroom?" Makoto hugged himself, scared.

"I can accompany you and check later." Sakura assured him.

Makoto looked visibly relieved. "Thanks…"

"Oh, Sakura-senpai! Try that window!" Hifumi pointed to one of the bolted metal plates.

Sakura nodded, cracking her knuckles and trying to unscrew the bolts "... It's as if they're welded…" She growled. "Somehow not even I could budge them…"

"Can you by any chance punch through brick?" Hiro hoped "Maybe you could wreck-it Ralph through the walls!"

"Puhuhuhuh~ Nope, you aren't allowed to do that!" Monokuma popped up behind them

"Gh-" Hiro jumped, whipping around "Nobody invited you here!"

"Most furries I've met are really nice, what happened to you?" Chihiro frowned

"I'm not a furry! I'm more complex than you could ever hope to understand!" Monokuma swiped his claws at her, making her recoil in defense

Leon t posed over Monokuma "Okay furry"

Monokuma slashed at Leon's knee, ripping his jeans "Listen here you memey little shit, cut this out or I'll _really_ blow you up."

Leon rolled his eyes "Fine, now fuck off."

"Oh wahhh, the kids don't like me, how despair-inducing" Monkuma mocked, walking off "I guess I won't tell you guys what I wanted to nowww…"

"You were going to tell us something?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow

"Well, yes! But you guys made it clear you don't want me to stick around, so I'll get outta your hair! Toodle-oo!"

"No! Headmaster, please!" Taka tried

"Well, since you asked so nicely, it's waiting for you in the gym!" Monokuma skipped off

"... I don't trust this at all…" Toko grumbled

"Still, it's probably more dangerous to ignore it." Kyoko pointed out, leading everyone to where Monokuma said.

Inside the gym were fifteen yoga mats, black with Monokuma faces printed on them. Monokuma waited on the little stage, wearing what looked like 80's exercise gear.

"Ta-da! Welcome tooooo Monoaerobics!"

"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me" Mondo groaned, turning around to leave

"Presence is mandatory! But, since I'm nice, participation is optional."

Taka claimed a mat front and center, craving routine.

"Oh, look at Kiyotaka! A regular class representative!" Monokuma gushed "Anyone else?"

"We're missing someone." Kyoko pointed out

"Oh, that stick in the mud Byakuya? Pff, another one of me is talking his ear off at the library!"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, sitting on a bleacher. The others following suit.

"This is such bullcrap" 'Junko' whispered to herself.

"You okay?" Makoto tilted her head at her.

What was there to be okay about? The real Junko kept changing the plan, wouldn't answer any messages, Makoto doesn't remember her at all, and she can't even check in with Byakuya.

"I'm okay. Just can't like, wish my dog a happy birthday." She finally answered, pouting.

"You have a dog?" Makoto perked up, making Mukuro's heart melt

"I do! Her name's Pom-pom and she's like, a total diva! Wanna see her on last year's birthday?"

"Yes, please!" He bounced in place, excited.

'Junko' showed off the pictures of a little pomeranian in a tiara, Junko helping the dog open gifts and serving her a cupcake "Isn't she just fab?"

"She's so cute!" He squealed, squeezing 'Junko's' arm in excitement, before blushing and letting go "S-sorry-"

She smiled softly "Like, don't worry about it! You're good, boo!

"O-okay! … You're like, really muscular…" He shrunk into his jacket, embarrassed

"Yeahh, that's what photoshop's for, lmao" She internally cringed. Maybe… she won't say text abbreviations out loud anymore

"I wish they wouldn't- You're way better in person- Is that weird to say?"

'Junko' smiled sadly, shaking her head "No, actually, it's like, the sweetest thing somebody's ever said to me" She kissed his cheek.

He stammered, red as a beet. She was so nice, he couldn't believe it.

"By the way (huff) kids! While you're contemplating murder, keep in mind a certain rule!" Monokuma piped up "There will be a trial after the body's discovered to determine the killer! If you vote right, only the killer gets executed! If you vote wrong, however… Only the killer lives" He cackled

'Junko" tugged her pigtails, groaning. This was her cue, she was told to make an example to the others what happened if you disobeyed. She would be locked away for a day and come back 'traumatized'. "Ugghhh, why the hell do we gotta do that, huh?! That isn't fair! Why should we get punished by figuring out who killed somebody, when they're the one who killed?"

"You mean you _don't_ want to participate in a class trial?" Monokuma stopped exercising.

"Who the hell would?!"

Monokuma chuckled darkly, hopping off stage and waddling over, claws bared. 'Junko' panicked, her combat reflexes kicking in as she kicked him back, and pinned him down.

"Tsk tsk, Ms. Enoshima! Violence against the Headmaster is _not_ allowed!"

Monokuma squirmed underneath her as she was impaled where she stood, several spikes emerging from the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

"This… Wasn't… Supposed to happen…." Mukuro tried to keep breathing, her wide eyes looking down at the tangle of blood. Her thoughts were muddled and frantic. So… She's guessing Junko didn't want this outfit back…

The others stared at the display in horror as 'Junko's' head lulled to one side, her energy too low to keep standing. She remained suspended by the spears, her blood covering the floor.

"So you see, kids, don't ask questions you aren't prepared to know the answer to!" Monokuma cheerfully wiggled out from under 'Junko's' foot. "So, show of hands, who's coming to the trial!"

Taka raised his first, shaking and sniffling. The others followed suit slowly, all scared to disobey.

"Wowza, what an attendance! I sure am happy to have such _great _students!" Monokuma taunted

"That is, if we need to have a trial." Celestia chimed in

"Oh, you will! You just haven't seen what old Monokuma has cooked up yet!" Monokuma danced with glee as the mastermind sent the signal to have the hostage's copies executed. Byakuya complied.

Aoi held onto Sakura's arm, afraid as the little bear left. The fear and anxiety in the air is palpable. The rest of the day is spent in near-deafening silence. Makoto attempted to make conversation but a fresh wave of tears seized his throat every time.

When Makoto arrived to his room he was greeted by a dvd in a jewel case, his name written on it in cursive. He looked around, setting it on the desk, and tried to open his bathroom again. It wouldn't budge.

"Why do I have a girl's room…?" He wondered quietly

"You don't!" Monokuma piped up, crawling out from under the bed

Makoto jumped, pressing his back against the door

"I was very careful to make sure you all got rooms that best matched your gender! That's why Kyoko has a sewing kit _and_ a toolkit, if you know what I mean!"

"She's… A boy and a girl? Or neither?"

"She wouldn't say which one she preferred, so I gave her both! Waaaaatch ouuuuut!" He giggled "Anyway, about your door! I'm afraid your door is a bit messed up! The hinges are a bit bad, so you need to lift up before pushing!"

Makoto tried this, happy to see that it opened. "The tools-"

"Doesn't fit! I picked sharpness over function, whoopsie!"

Makoto frowned, feeling sick.

"Anyway, see you next morning, and bring your DVDs! Toodle-oo! Bear-thee-well!" Monokuma left through the door, struggling to reach the knob.

Makoto sighed shakily, flopping into bed. He kicked off his shoes and wiggled under the comforter. He only slept because of how exhausted his eyes were from crying.

No one really slept that night, judging by how exhausted everyone looked in the cafeteria. Byakuya showed up today, and judging by his disheveled appearance, he was informed of what happened.

"So… I suppose before we head to the gym for Monoaerobics, we should… Watch our DVDs." Taka mentioned, unsure

"The bear certainly seemed fuckin' insistent about it." Mondo scratched his head, trying to get to his scalp under the pompadour.

Taka didn't stop him from swearing, he was tempted to do so himself.

In a solemn group, they entered the media room, each sitting down to a monitor, a pair of headphones, and a tower with a disk drive. They put the discs in and…

Komaru! Mom and dad! Makoto's heart leaped seeing them okay. They're okay…

"You getting to attend Hope's Peak Academy is like a dream come true! Make sure you do your best!" His mom said cheerily

"I'm so proud of you, son. But make sure you don't push yourself too hard!" His dad followed

"Are you really watching us, Makoto?! Good, luck, okay?" Komaru waved excitedly

* * *

So many sweet people, all believing things were okay. Byakuya's eyes clouded as he dutifully filmed, disguised with a wig, hoodie, and contacts to replace his glasses. He tried to justify it. It isn't really them. They aren't really real. The real ones are safe in captivity. He cranked the chainsaw.

* * *

"Makoto Naegi. Accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. And his family, who supported such a _lucky_ boy…" Monokuma teased, voicing over the lacerated living room set. "But it seems like something happened to this family's well-being!" He gasped

Makoto's vision blurred with fresh tears. He's surprised he even had any left to cry.

"What could have possibly happened? Tune in after graduation to find out!"

The kids were all in despair. Some screamed and wailed. Others bowed their head and tried to hold together. Jack wiped his eyes. They loved that beetle so much…

"W-well-" Taka trembled, hugging himself "I-if anyone w-would like to talk, I t-think that would be… It would be therapeutic."

Sayaka looked up from her screen at Makoto "Th-this is… This is too much Naegi. I can't stand it…"

Makoto hugged her tightly, putting his hood up.

Hifumi noticed how empty Celestia looked about her tape. "Do you want to play something, Celestia? Vampires, maybe?" He offered, his face distorted in grief. She accepted, exiting quickly to avoid being seen crying.

Mondo growled out, slamming his fist on the table "FUCK THIS! THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT!"

"It's p-probably fake, guys! P-please!" Aoi called, trying to calm everyone down

"But what if it isn't…" Hiro sobbed, hugging the monitor "T-that bear fucking killed Junko!"

Aoi looked to Sakura, fearful. Sakura placed a hand on Aoi's shoulder.

"Things will be okay. It may seem selfish, but remaining alive is going to be more important than worrying about this."

"W-what if w-we had a sleepover?" Makoto tried

"And make it easier for a killer to pick us off? I'll pass…" Byakuya sneered

Kyoko was the only one calm in this calamity. "I'll give him credit where it's due, I can see how that would drive someone to kill…"

"You aren't freaking out?!" Hiro yelped in surprise

"I don't have any reason to, yet." Kyoko's face a blank mask

Jack groaned, tugging at his bangs "I do…" He sniffed

"P-please, everyone-! We can make it through this! We can't let him win!" Taka clutched at his heart, needing to feel it beat. His heart is his compass, and his compass is saying he needs to move forward and resist this corrupt leader they have.

"I bet you're just trying to lower everybody's guard so that you can swoop in and stab us in the back- _**Literally.**_" Leon growled

Taka couldn't hide the pain that accusation brought, so Mondo stepped between them

"C'mon you stupid fuck! He's squeaky clean! That's his talent! You _should_ be worrying about _me_." Maybe he can unite them with having a common enemy? He hoped so.

It… Sort of worked. Everyone's stepping back from him in fear. But he didn't understand that someone was already plotting right under their noses...

* * *

Author's note: i am struggling to figure out how to split up chapters but. Yeehaw. For clarification, Kyoko is she/they nonbinary, more specifically a demigirl. will she mention it? no


	5. Chapter 5

Sayaka's eyes filled with tears at Mondo's warning. She knew she was easy pickings. She knew her band needed her. Those girls were like family. They certainly cared more than her actual family…

She pushed Makoto off of her and ran off. Her feet sting from running so hard, but what else was there to do?

"S-Sayaka-" Aoi called after her, worried

"Let her go." Byakuya commanded, folding his arms

"I can't do that! She needs support in a time like this!" Makoto ran after her.

Taka looked to Mondo, worried "... Please… Don't do anything…" He begged

"I won't do anything yet, not unless I have to." Mondo murmured back, quiet enough for only Taka to hear

"Is that a promise?"

"..." Mondo turned away. He really can't make promises here. He can't afford to let down any more people than he already has, getting stuck in here.

Sayaka was curled up in a classroom, hyperventilating and rocking when Makoto came in. He sat down beside her quietly

"Sayaka, are you okay?" Makoto asked softly

"I'm f-fine-" She panted "... W-what did we do to deserve this, M-Makoto?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He ran his fingers through his hair, Sayaka's mood becoming infectious

"I want _out_" She wailed, pounding her fists on the floor "I want o-out of here r-right now!"

Makoto took her wrists carefully, his fingers getting squished while she thrashed "P-please Sayaka, calm down- We can't think clearly like this."

"How the fuck are we supposed to think clearly?! How can you be so optimistic?"

"Please stop yelling-" He winced "Someone's gonna notice everyone who went missing, I'm sure of it! The families of several Ultimates ending up… Missing… T-that's gotta be suspicious!"

"What if they forged stuff? What if they made it seem like everything's fine, Makoto? Aren't you scared?!"

"I'm terrified- b-but that can't stop us right now." He bit his lip, trying to fight back the onslaught of dread overwhelming him "Please, Sayaka. We need you. We need to work together."

"Like how we worked together to stop Junko from getting killed?" She asked, her pale blue eyes frantic and wide

That hit Makoto like a truck. The dream he had last night about her woke him up in a cold sweat. This was torture. "Th-there was nothing we could've done, then- It happened too fast to stop it!"

"What if more things come that happen too fast to stop? What if we never get out?!"

"I-if that happens, then… Then I'll get you out of here myself."

Sayaka collapsed into his lap, sobbing "Please help me… Please…"

Makoto stared off into the distance, holding her tightly "I'll do my best."

"Do you p-promise?"

"... I promise."

* * *

"Do you promise?"

"I promise." Makoto stood in the wings of Sayaka's first performance, the school's talent show.

Sayaka shook like a leaf, catching glimpses of all the people there. Her name was called. She kissed Makoto's cheek and nervously shuffled onto the stage. She looked to Makoto, taking the microphone. And she started to sing and dance.

She was a natural, her voice melodic, her dance graceful and fun. She'd catch glimpses of Makoto, hidden by the curtains. He was dancing too. He helped her practice.

Time went on and they grew distant. Calls every day turned into letters every few weeks, turned into nothing at all. But both never really forgot.

* * *

Sayaka wouldn't forget that promise. "No matter what happens, please… Always be there for me. By my side."

"Of course." He bumped his forehead against hers. "You wanna hang out in my room for the rest of the day? I'm not really strong, or much of anything special, but I can do my best to protect you."

She nodded, shakily sitting back up and getting to her feet. "I need to stop by the kitchen f-first, I need to get my blood sugar up."

Makoto nodded, heading to the dorm to wait.

* * *

"Oh they're so cute together it makes me sick!" She squished the Monokuma plush on her control panel "Doesn't it just make you wanna curl up and puke?"

"I suppose…? Ma'am, I hate to ask, but… Why did you kill your sister?"

"Hm? Oh! I love her, that's why!"

He adjusted his glasses, confused "So you impaled her repeatedly?"

"Everyone that I love should get a taste of this beautiful, drowning despair! And I love everyone! But I love _her_ the most, that's why! And when she is re-activated after the Killing game, she'll thank me!"

His terror was only hidden by years of practicing hiding any emotion at all. He felt as though she might off him, but it was too late to back out.

* * *

Taka knocked on Makoto's door urgently, nearly punching the boy's nose when he opened the door "Mr. Naegi! Ms. Maizono is missing!"

"She's in here!" He pointed to his bed with his thumb where Sayaka laid, absently playing her otamatone.

Taka gasped "Are you two… _Copulating?_" He whispered accusingly

Makoto flushed bright red "N-no! No, sir!

Taka nodded, relieved "Oh thank goodness. Please continue not doing that." He patted Makoto's head

"Are you okay?" Makoto asked, making a face at the pets

"I am never okay, thank you."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No." Taka turned around "Now if you'll excuse me I have to investigate Mr. Owada's dog pictures."

Makoto nodded slowly, closing the door. Taka must have been really shaken up, it seems.

"Who was that?" Sayaka yawned

Makoto sat on the foot of the bed "Taka. He was worried about you."

"Aw…" She felt a little guilty about running off. "Hey, Makoto? Could… Could I switch rooms with you tonight? I hate to ask, but… I'm really scared."

"Switch rooms…? If it'll help put your mind at ease, we could try it… But, aren't you worried I might do something to your room? I wouldn't, but..." But you seemed so worried earlier.

"I trust you, Makoto."

"In that case… It's a deal."

The monitor screen turned on, signaling the curfew was now in place.

"Oh shoot- See you tomorrow!" He hurried to get a change of clothes for tomorrow and head for the door, stopping momentarily

"The door on the bathroom's bad? Well, no worries!" Sayaka giggled before Makoto even opened his mouth

"How did you-"

"Like I said, I'm psychic!"

Makoto waited for her to say she's kidding

"... What if I wasn't kidding?" She smiled.

Makoto stammered "Then I need to stop thinking about the egg rolls I wanted to make tomorrow or you might steal them…"

Sayaka giggled again, setting the otamatone in a drawer.

Makoto tossed her his door key, and she tossed hers back to him, he fumbled to catch it.

"Thank you!" Sayaka smiled as he left, starting to pen a note.

Makoto shuddered at the camera and climbed into the bed. The smell of vanilla permeating his dreams.

* * *

Makoto awoke the next morning and stumbled out of his room to the dining hall, his stomach growling. He realized he forgot to eat dinner last night, staying with Sayaka.

"Mr. Naegi! Guess what!" Taka beamed, his chest puffed out "I was the first one here this morning!"

"Congrats" Makoto smiled softly

Taka's smile spread to Chihiro, who sipped her coffee "I feel much better after a chance to sleep. Reviewing the DVD, it doesn't seem to be real. If the mastermind could access a high-tech robot like Monokuma and this surveillance system, they clearly have the budget to do something convincing like this! I can't wait to tell Sayaka!"

"Good news, indeed. I trust your judgment, Chihiro." Sakura nodded approvingly.

Aoi clapped, a donut in her mouth. She wiped her hands on a napkin and wrapped up a little tighter in Sakura's jacket.

"Where is Ms. Maizono? She typically doesn't sleep in like this…" Taka pondered.

"She was doing really bad yesterday, she probably needed to sleep it off. I don't think she'd wanna miss the hot coffee, though…" Makoto grabbed a granola bar to tide him over while he went to find Sayaka.

"Please return with her soon!" Taka requested, waving to the newcomers to the cafeteria.

Makoto cheerily skipped down the hall, waving to Toko and Celestia. He knocked on the… Now, wait a minute… His nameplate was supposed to be on this door, but Sayaka's is instead? Worrying. He knocked on the door, no one answered. He tried the door. It opened, it wasn't locked. That's terrifying, just like what lay inside.

The room is scratched, the table flipped over, the decorational katana on the floor, out of its sheath. Feeling nauseous at the horrible smell of blood, he wearily looked into the bathroom.

And was greeted by Sayaka's corpse.

* * *

"Boo!" Sayaka giggled, her mother's white dress tripping her up.

Little Makoto jumped, tugging on his Yoshi costume's hat "D-don't scare me like that!"

Sayaka's thin, black painted lips were upturned into a grin "It's Halloween, silly! I gotta! I'm a ghost!"

"Really…?" The boy was certainly gullible back then

"Booooooo!" She flapped her sleeves

He squeaked, near tears

"It's just a joke! I'm still here, promise!" Sayaka hugged him

* * *

"Pl-please…" Makoto trembled, sniffling "Please say it's just a joke…" He waited, hoped irrationally for her to move, to smile up at him… Nothing. He didn't realize that he was screaming out.


End file.
